Hands Are The Heart's Landscape
by IShouldBeWriting
Summary: Becker treads a fine line in his growing relationship with Jess as he gives her a lesson in hand-to-hand combat. This is the continuation of my series of Becker/Jess shorts. Follows "Always Walk In Armor" Rememeber: reviews feed the muse!


Author's Note: Title quote comes from Pope John Paul II

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jess temporized as she toed her trainers off at the edge of the gym mat, "I'm terribly uncoordinated you know. I didn't dance at my own sister's wedding for fear I'd embarrass her."

Becker knelt down in front of her giving what he hoped was a reassuring smile, "no worries, Jess. You can't possibly be worse than some of the enlisted trainees I sent up in officer's school."

She responded with a tentative smile as he offered her a hand up. "Besides," he purred quietly as he pulled her into his personal space, their bodies almost touching, "training you will be far more enjoyable if for no other reason than the excuse to have you this close to me."

Jess' gaped for a moment before snapping her mouth shut and looking away. For a split second he thought he'd pushed too far but then he noticed the gently pink flush across the pale cream of her cheek. She was delightfully easy to embarrass and he took immense joy in knowing they could share an exchange like that with such intimate ease. Though the impulse was there to reach out and stroke her cheek he resisted. It seemed wise to reestablish some physical distance between them. The last thing he wanted her to think was that he wasn't serious about his concern for her safety. He turned away and crossed to the center of the mat, slipping without a thought into the lightly balanced tread which had become second nature more than half a lifetime ago. In the quiet room Jess' sharp exhalation seemed to echo loudly. He truly hoped that neither of them would regret this.

Oof!" Jess exclaimed as she landed on the mat yet again with the full weight of Becker's slimly muscled build on top of her. Becker quickly shifted his upper body weight off her torso leaving their hips and legs still intertwined.

"Are you ready to call it a day?" he asked quietly as one hand smoothed the hair back from her face.

Eyes closed and breathing heavily, Jess didn't reply. Becker waited patiently. The lesson had gone slowly but she was making good progress. As he'd suspected Jess wasn't nearly as uncoordinated as she thought herself to be. Once taught a few simple patterns of movement and drilled relentlessly a fumbling version of them had become her instinctive response when attacked. He was pleased with her progress so far and found it easy to revert to the mindset he'd used when instructing new recruits at Sandhurst. At the same time moments like this one left him intensely aware that she was nothing like those recruits.

He stroked a finger down her cheek again and he felt her swallow and shiver.

"I'm certain it wasn't your intention, but you've shattered my concentration in the worst way," Jess' words came unevenly as she drew another unsteady inhalation.

"How so?" Becker asked curiously.

"You may be giving me lessons in self defense, but I can't seem to forget that I'm rather attracted to you and right now your body is much too close for me to ignore."

He looked down at her, stunned. She hadn't opened her eyes and he could tell that she continued fighting hard to return her breathing to normal. He stilled with the realization that he was thoroughly enjoying the feeling of Jess' soft curves pressed beneath his body.

"Would you like me to stop the lesson?" he questioned quietly.

"Yes," she responded, "I think that might be a good idea."

"And would you like me to stop touching you?" he asked in a whisper.

Her eyes flew open.

"Absolutely not," she sighed. "My concentration's been dodgy from the start. You have no idea, do you? It's taken every ounce of control I've got to keep myself on task."

Suddenly the pieces clicked into place in Becker's head. Studying her features beneath him, he experimentally slid one calloused fingertip down the line of her neck and watched as Jess fought not to shudder.

"I'll keep that in mind for the future," he said gently as he leaned close enough for his lips to brush her ear, "and don't ever think I'll forget exactly how sensitive to touch you are."

Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain.

- Carl G. Jung


End file.
